At the Intel Developer Forum in San Jose, CA today, Intel disclosed performance capabilities and technical details for the upcoming Centrino mobile technology, described key technical features for the company's next generation desktop PC microprocessor (codenamed Prescott) and desktop chipsets, and highlighted several client device products based on XScale technology.

The following is an excerpt from a statement released today by Intel about the company's “client products” chipset and technology roadmap . . .

Centrino mobile technology

Anand Chandrasekher, VP and co-general manager of Intel's Mobile Platforms Group, said the upcoming “Centrino mobile technology” will be introduced March 12 at speeds up to 1.6 GHz. Centrino-based notebook PCs running at 1.6 GHz deliver higher performance and enable longer battery life than comparable 2.4GHz Pentium 4 based products. Intel's Centrino mobile technology includes an Intel Pentium M processor, an Intel 855 chipset and an Intel Pro/Wireless 2100 network connection.

Prescott

Intel will continue increasing its desktop and mobile processor performance leadership later this year by introducing products built using Intel's advanced 90-nanometer (nm) manufacturing technology, enabling higher performance chips with lower operating voltages at a lower cost per unit. In the second half of this year, Prescott and the second-generation microprocessor for the Intel Centrino mobile technology family will be manufactured on 90-nm technology.

Prescott will feature enhancements to Intel's Hyper-Threading Technology and the Intel NetBurst microarchitecture. In addition, new features include an 800 MHz front side bus and a 1 MB L2 cache. The second-generation microprocessor for the Intel Centrino mobile technology family will offer higher frequencies than its predecessor and incorporate several architectural advances, boosting overall system performance as Intel quickens the pace of innovation.

Springdale and Canterwood

In addition to delivering high performance microprocessors, Intel will introduce two chipsets, codenamed Springdale and Canterwood, during the first half of the year. These new chipsets are designed to deliver a balanced platform with innovative features valued by home and office PC users. The Canterwood chipset will support Hyper-Threading Technology and have new features such as dual channel DDR400 memory support, a fast 800 MHz system bus, AGP8X and integrated Serial ATA/RAID. Canterwood-based platforms will enable the highest levels of performance for Intel Pentium 4 processor-based desktop PCs.

The Springdale chipset is designed to deliver improved productivity, stability and reliability for corporations' desktop PCs. Features include Intel's next generation integrated graphics, soft RAID, a new architecture designed to increase Gigabit Ethernet networking performance, dual channel DDR400 memory and Intel Stable Driver Technology.

Granite Peak

Intel also announced a new program called Granite Peak where Intel chipsets will be compatible with Intel's leading-edge desktop and mobile microprocessors for six quarters. This will help corporate IT organizations deploy standardized hardware and software configurations over longer periods of time.

Intel Digital Home building blocks

Burns showed several Intel Digital Home building blocks, including a new reference platform, codenamed Statesboro, with a Linksys Digital Media Adapter based on an Intel reference design, which allows wireless distribution of digital media throughout the home. He also showed Intel's new 2004 concept platform, codenamed Powersville, which provided end-user valued features for both the digital home and office.

Industry-enabling programs

Intel also discussed several industry-enabling programs in place to provide a better mobile experience for Intel Centrino mobile technology-based notebook users.

Chandrasekher said that the Intel Communications Fund already has invested $25 million in more than 15 wireless networking companies in order to help accelerate wireless network deployment worldwide. Intel also is working with hotel chains, telecommunications service providers and retail outlets and conducting extensive verification of public WiFi network access points, commonly called hotspots, for use with Intel Centrino mobile technology. Several thousand hotspots will be verified by year-end.

Integrated wireless silicon products

Intel also is focused on further integrating computing and communications functions in wireless handheld devices including cell phones. The company's efforts to develop high performance, integrated wireless silicon products are accelerating the transition from voice-only phones to advanced devices that combine voice and data.

“The past week marked several significant milestones for us,” said Gadi Singer, vice president of the Wireless Computing and Communications Group and general manager of Intel's PCA Components Group. “We introduced a cellular processor that combines advanced processing, leading communications technologies and flash memory into a single chip, announced several new design wins, and unveiled industry-enabling efforts with several wireless carriers.”

In addition, top phone makers, including Maxon Telecom, Co., Ltd., MiTAC International Corporation and Hitachi Ltd. have selected Intel processors based on the Intel XScale technology for upcoming data-enabled cell phones. Intel and Microsoft also announced the immediate availability of the Intel PXA262 cellular phone reference design running the Windows Smartphone operating system and featuring Intel XScale technology and integrated Intel On-Chip Flash memory that utilizes Intel's advanced MCP stacking technology.

 
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